Trendon T. Shavers, who is accused of operating a Texas Ponzi scam involving a Bitcoin scheme he operated from his residence must pay more than $40.4 million. The SEC filed a securities fraud case against him and his company Bitcoin Savings & Trust last year and sought disgorgement.

According to the regulator, Shavers, a Texas resident, raised more than 700,000 bitcoins while promising investors interest as high as 7% weekly. The allegedly fraudulent activities lasted from November 2011 through August 2012 when the Ponzi scam collapsed.

In a promo that he posted on online, Shavers solicited lenders, offering 1% interest daily for loans involving at least 50 bitcoins. He also published posts touting nearly zero risk, claiming that the business was doing exceptionally well. When his Texas securities scam failed, Shavers showed preference to longtime investors and friends when giving out redemptions.

Shavers admitted to using a “reserve fund” as part of his Ponzi operation to honor investor withdrawals when he couldn’t make enough returns from the supposed investments. He also allegedly pocketed some of the bitcoins and spent part of investors’ money on his own expenses, including casino visits.

The judge overruled his argument that the court lacked subject matter jurisdiction because bitcoins are not actual cash but virtual currency. He said that because Bitcoin can be used as money and exchanged for conventional currencies, it is a type of money.

The judge found that investors lost more than 365,000 bitcoins, valued at around $149 million. He granted the Commission’s motion for summary judgment was granted.

Please contact our Texas securities law firm if you believe that you were the victim of a Ponzi scam or any other kind of financial fraud.